5. Dave "Hawg" Hanner

For 13 seasons, he was a mainstay on the Packers' defensive line, playing in 160 regular-season games from 1952-'64 and on the 1961-'62 NFL championship teams.

He endured the "the forgettable '50s" until the arrival of Vince Lombardi in 1959 and joined Lombardi's coaching staff in 1965. The no-nonsense assistant coach respected for his defensive knowledge served on the staffs of Phil Bengtson, Dan Devine, and Bart Starr in his tenure.

"Hawg was old school — no question," Willie Davis said with a laugh. "He made us do the same drills that we used to complain about. I though he was an excellent coach and brought that same work ethic and drive and motivation that he had as a player. You wanted to play hard for him."

4. Zeke Bratkowski

Bratkowski, a "super sub" backup to Starr in the Packers' 1960s dynasty, was a detailed and well-prepared professional who performed when called upon.

As an assistant coach, Bratkowski shared his knowledge of the game and helped develop Green Bay quarterbacks like Lynn Dickey and Don Majkowski. He also had coaching stints in Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York (Jets), and Philadelphia.

"Zeke was an excellent coach and very good teacher," Dickey said. "He emphasized the fundamentals and especially helped me with recognizing and reading coverages. Zeke was really everything you wanted in a quarterbacks coach."

Bratkowski retired from coaching in 1996, but continues to mentor promising high school and collegiate quarterbacks as a consultant.

3. Monte Kiffin

Linebackers (1983)

Kiffin, the father of the Tampa Cover 2, is a longtime NFL assistant coach whose professional career began with the Packers in Starr's final season.

The former Nebraska Cornhusker is regarded as a defensive genius and one of the best defensive coordinators in league history.

After Starr's staff was dismissed, Kiffin moved on to serve as defensive coordinator with six other teams, most notably in Tampa Bay from 1996-2008. He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers, but never took an NFL head coaching job.

Kiffin's only head coaching job was for three seasons at North Carolina State, right before he joined Starr's staff.

2. Sherm Lewis

Offensive coordinator (1992-'99)

Lewis was the low-key assistant who helped head coach Mike Holmgren implement the vaunted West Coast offense in Green Bay.

The former Michigan State All-American halfback also coached the Packers wide receivers, as Green Bay won Super Bowl XXXI with one of the league's best offenses spearheaded by Brett Favre.

"We had a unique bond on our team, a special chemistry between the players and the coaches," former receiver Robert Brooks said. "Coach Holmgren was one of the best coaches of all time and he had great staff with guys like Sherman Lewis and Ray Rhodes and Andy Reid and Jon Gruden. We were lucky to play and work for great assistants like that. It makes all the difference."

Lewis was a San Francisco assistant from 1983-'91, serving as running backs coach for six years and then three as receivers coach under Holmgren, the 49ers offensive coordinator.

"They had a history and chemistry together, and that helped our offense and entire team to accomplish our goals and bring a Super Bowl trophy back to Green Bay," Brooks said.

1. Fritz Shurmur

Defensive coordinator (1994-'98)

Shurmur, the fiery bespectacled defensive coordinator, was one of the most popular and well-respected assistant coaches of his era.

Shurmur accomplished almost everything possible in his 45-year coaching career that began as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Albion College, in 1954 and ended with the Seattle Seahawks in 1998.

In between he served as an assistant and then head coach at the University of Wyoming before leaving for the NFL and working in Detroit, New England, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Green Bay.

His career highlight was directing the NFL's top-ranked defense in 1996, when Green Bay claimed Super Bowl XXXI with a 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots.

Former general manager Ron Wolf said Shurmur's knowledge, drive and enthusiasm were essential to Green Bay's Super Bowl success.

"He was a real football man," Wolf said. "All he wanted to be was a football coach. And he was very, very good at it.

"He had a great ability to get the defense prepared and the guys really believed in what he did. And Fritz truly enjoyed coaching and teaching. I don't think he could have stayed in it as long as he did if he didn't love it.

"Our defense was No. 1 in the league, and that was the direct result of the job Fritz did. Mike (Holmgren) left him alone. He was very good at what he did, and our defense reflected that."

Shurmur's innovative defensive schemes were his trademark, and he shared his knowledge by authoring four books on coaching defense. "I swear he dreamed some of those defenses up while ice fishing on some frozen lake in the dead of winter," former Green Bay linebacker Ron Cox said.